In June of 2009, Spoon released the “Got Nuffin” EP. The title track of this three song single, which is also featured on their latest album, was only a hint at what the band had in store for their January 13 release, “Transference.”

Spoon has thrown conventional song structure out the window and decided to have some fun with their seventh studio album. If it is standard verse/chorus/verse songs one seeks, look elsewhere. Droning guitar riffs and sparse yet appropriate bass lines populate the majority of the songs on “Transference,” driving each track permanently into your memory.

The album kicks off with “Before Destruction”, a haunting song that is slightly reminiscent of Radiohead. After the moody opening track, Spoon gets right down to the meat of this record. Songs like “I Saw The Light” and “Out Go The Lights” seem to be simple piano ballads only to take a hard left hand turn to the territory of slashing guitar rock.

The band makes use of a full arsenal of pianos, synthesizers, drums, bass, and both electric and acoustic guitars. If one were to separate each instrument from the others, the individual instruments’ tracks may not be able to stand alone, but when put together they achieve a certain orchestral beauty.

Fans of screaming guitars and shred may not find solace within Spoon’s latest release. For everyone else, guitarist and vocalist Britt Daniel provides Neil Young-esque solos that perfectly complement the songs containing them.

If you enjoy bands such as The Shins, Wilco, Grizzly Bear, and My Morning Jacket, do yourself a favor and check out “Transference.”

Although it may not be the best introduction to Spoon’s catalog of music, “Transference” delivers the band at their best since 2005’s “Gimme Fiction.”